Police, firefighters to square off in charity cage match

August 21, 2011|By Justin Fenton, The Baltimore Sun

But in his private life, he's a martial arts expert with more than 30 years' experience with Shizendo karate and other styles. He also has a side job as the executive director of a defense tactics company called Dynamic Defense Systems, which has taught lethal-force options and knife-fighting techniques to "thousands of law enforcement officers across the country."

Though he's organizing the event, Ross won't be participating in the fights.

Flynn, a 37-year veteran of the Police Department, hasn't fought anyone in a ring since the 1960s, when he was an amateur boxer. The Navy veteran said he's kept in shape and is ready to square off. He said he's dedicating the fight to God, his family, the Police Department, and Vietnam veterans, "many of us who were treated so badly when we came back."

It's not just the male officers and firefighters who will be taking part. There will be at least three bouts involving women. Paramedic Terri Smith said in an interview on 105.7 FM The Fan that's she been training in Muay Thai for 11 months and has spent several hours preparing each day.

She joked that she'd be in a good position to medically treat her competition should she land any brutal blows. "I'll fix them afterwards," she said.

And then there's the bikini competition for "ring girls." Ross said wives and girlfriends of police officers and firefighters have expressed interest, though they'll have to compete with others at tryouts Friday nights at clubs at Power Plant Live that were scheduled to start last week.

"The winner will receive $1,000, and be part of a nationally distributed XCW ring girl calendar," Ross promises.